Letter: This is an Eagle-Vail Metro District meeting, not ‘Saturday Night Live’

Editor’s note: According to Section 8 of the Eagle-Vail Metro District bylaws, “the president is authorized to sign all contracts, deeds, notes, debentures, warrants and other instruments on behalf of the district,” and the “manager or administrator will approve all vouchers, orders and checks for payment.” The bylaws do not explicitly require approval from the treasurer for payments from the district’s general funds.

“Yea, that’s the ticket!”

For anyone old enough to remember Jon Lovitz’ parody portraying the pathological liar Tommy Flanagan (pronounced Flu nA gun) on “Saturday Night Live” in the ’80s and ’90s, it’s understandable how that comes to mind when listening to Eagle-Vail’s community manager explain why he can’t produce the requested documents for the jobs given to, and paid to, Eagle-Vail Metro District Board President Chuck Toms.

In addition to this curious absence of contract and record retention and the explanation given, the performance that played out at the Thursday, Sept. 21, board meeting and the following special meeting could also be a “Saturday Night Live” act.

In reality, as Michael Cacioppo’s Monday, Oct. 9, letter to the editor (“Points of order and the Eagle-Vail Metro District”) and Randy Wyrick’s Sunday, Oct. 15, article (“Eagle-Vail board proposes weapons policy”) pointed out, rules and laws have been violated. The community deserves better. It’s a serious matter that rules and laws are being ignored and only followed when convenient — or, in this case, exposed. Ignoring and disregarding these rules and statutory laws has led to a choleric environment that has created suspicion and distrust.

Understanding and following Robert’s Rules of Order and appropriate Statutory Law at every Eagle-Vail Metro District meeting, as well as the handling of important documentation, should have been occurring all along. Following these rules and laws ensures more reliable and fairer outcomes. These standards protect everyone.

And it’s not rocket science! Discovering that the president of the Eagle-Vail Metro District rubber-stamped checks to himself is troubling. Furthermore, to discover that the president of the board and the community manager have been handling things in this manner for some time, and not permitting the Eagle-Vail Metro District board treasurer to approve checks, presents even greater concerns.

In light of these negligent and unethical infractions, one wonders what other concealed and private agreements, arrangements and meetings have occurred over the years. What has gone on behind closed doors? Votes taken at meetings with decisions made, only to be changed at the next? Wasteful use of Metro District money for things beyond maintenance of our recreational assets and amenities?

It’s time to expect better from the Eagle-Vail Metro District president and our community manager. This is not junior high school. Eagle-Vail residents must trust that these individuals have an understanding of rules and statutory laws and have ethical and fiduciary commitments to this community. Otherwise, they must step down. We need them to do better than a “Saturday Night Live” performance.